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Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 (samsung-a5)

From postmarketOS Wiki
Note This page is about the dedicated port of this device. There is also an optional generic port available for this device - see Generic MSM8916 (qcom-msm8916).
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015)
Samsung Galaxy A5
Samsung Galaxy A5
Manufacturer Samsung
Name Galaxy A5 (2015)
Codename samsung-a5
Model SM-A5000 - SM-A500W
Released 2014
Type handset
Hardware
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
CPU 4x 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU 400 MHz Adreno 306
Display 5 inch 16:9, 720 x 1280 AMOLED
Storage 16/32 GB EMMC 4.5
Memory 2 GB 533 MHz LPDDR3 single-channel
Architecture aarch64
Software
Original software
The software and version the device was shipped with.
Android 4.4.4
Extended version
The most recent supported version from the manufacturer.
Android 7.0
FOSS bootloader yes
postmarketOS
Category community
Pre-built images
Whether pre-built images are available from the postmarketOS Installation page.
no
Mainline
Instead of a Linux kernel fork, it is possible to run (Close to) Mainline.
yes
pmOS kernel
The kernel version that runs on the device's port.
Mainline
Unixbench score
Unixbench Whetstone/Dhrystone score. See Unixbench.
1028.8
Optional Generic Port Generic MSM8916 (qcom-msm8916)
Device package device-samsung-a5
Kernel package linux-postmarketos-qcom-msm8916
Firmware package firmware-samsung-a5
Features
Flashing
Whether it is possible to flash the device with pmbootstrap flasher.
Works
USB Networking
After connecting the device with USB to your PC, you can connect to it via telnet (initramfs) or SSH (booted system).
Works
Internal storage
eMMC, SD cards, UFS...
Works
SD card
Also includes other external storage cards.
Works
Battery
Whether charging and battery level reporting work.
Works
Screen
Whether the display works; ideally with sleep mode and brightness control.
Partial
Touchscreen
Works
Multimedia
3D Acceleration
Works
Audio
Audio playback, microphone, headset and buttons.
Works
Camera
Broken
Camera Flash
Broken
Connectivity
WiFi
Works
Bluetooth
Works
GPS
Works
NFC
Near Field Communication
Works
Modem
Calls
Works
SMS
Works
Mobile data
Works
Miscellaneous
FDE
Full disk encryption and unlocking with unl0kr.
Works
USB OTG
USB On-The-Go or USB-C Role switching.
Works
Sensors
Accelerometer
Handles automatic screen rotation in many interfaces.
Works
Magnetometer
Sensor to measure the Earth's magnetism
Works
Ambient Light
Measures the light level; used for automatic screen dimming in many interfaces.
Broken
Proximity
Broken
Hall Effect
Measures magnetic fields; usually used as a flip cover sensor
Works
Haptics
Works


Contributors

Users owning this device


Model variants

Galaxy A5 2015 (Duos)

  • SM-A5000 (China/Hong Kong, 4G?, Dual SIM) - SD issue? Broken #Touch keys.
  • SM-A5009 (China, China Telecom, 4G?)
  • SM-A500F (Global, 4G)
  • SM-A500FD (Global, 4G, Dual SIM)
  • SM-A500FQ (Turkey, 4G?)
  • SM-A500FU (Europe, 4G) - Working.
  • SM-A500G (?, smaller system partition?)
  • SM-A500GD (?, Dual SIM)
  • SM-A500H (3G variant)
  • SM-A500HD (3G variant?, Dual SIM)
  • SM-A500HQ (Turkey?, 3G?)
  • SM-A500M (Latin America, 4G?)
  • SM-A500MD (Latin America, 4G?, Dual SIM)
  • SM-A500Y (Australia/New Zealand, 4G?)
  • SM-A500YZ (Taiwan, 4G, Dual SIM)
  • SM-A500F1 (Korea, ?)
  • SM-A500K (Korea, KT Corp., ?)
  • SM-A500L (Korea, LG Uplus, ?)
  • SM-A500S (Korea, ST Telecom, ?)
  • SM-A500W (Canada, ?)
Note Note: Only 4G variants should have NFC. Please add the info for your variant if you have one. Needs testing.

Firmware

Architecture

Some variants are released with Kitkat 4.4, which doesn't boot arm64 kernel, so upgrade to Lollipop 5.0 or later first.

Outdated firmware

According to GSMArena, some variants received a build of Android 7.0 Nougat. Needs investigation. Also see #Specifications, #Firmware builds.

Boot modes

Fastboot (lk2nd menu) - hold Volume Down during boot, or (only for lk2nd Fastboot) - execute $ fastboot reboot bootloader on a connected USB host, or (also lk2nd) - select it on the bootloader menu by pressing Volume Down or Volume Up three times, then confirm using Power

Recovery (using lk2nd) - hold Volume Up during boot, or - enter Fastboot mode and select it on the bootloader menu by pressing Volume Down twice, confirm using Power

Recovery (using Samsung bootloader) - hold Home+Volume Up+Power, or (with USB debugging enabled) - execute $ adb reboot recovery on a connected USB host

DFU (Odin/Download) mode - hold Home+Volume Down+Power, or (with USB debugging enabled) - execute $ adb reboot download on a connected USB host

Hard reset - hold Volume Down+Power

Installation

Warning WARNING: Be careful when testing undocumented variants! Remember, we are dealing with Samsung here.


lk2nd is a secondary bootloader that provides a standard fastboot interface, which can be used to boot postmarketOS without Android boot flashed or pmbootstrap flasher flash_kernel.

  1. Download lk2nd-msm8916.img from Releases page on Github.
  2. Boot your phone to bootloader (Odin/Download) mode by holding Volume Down and Home while powering up.
  3. Follow lk2nd instructions to install lk2nd. Basically flash it to the boot partition (heimdall flash --BOOT lk2nd-msm8916.img)
  4. Follow Qualcomm_Snapdragon_410/412_(MSM8916)#Installation to install postmarketOS.
Note Note: Enter lk2nd fastboot mode by pressing only Volume Down + Power (without Home). Pressing Home additionally will bring you to the Samsung Download mode.

Desktop environments

GNOME

Currently unusable due to GPU driver/graphics crashes. Includes the mobile version. Should work fine on the edge channel. Has a software #Brightness extension (Soft Brightness Plus) availible through GNOME Extensions.

Phosh

Works. No notable issues. Compositor scaling tool in Mobile Settings is very useful, can also be set using dconf. No #Brightness solution?

Plasma Desktop

Untested? Likely partial. Kirigami Apps may flicker and show a distorted UI! Should work fine on the edge channel. Landscape (horizontal) mode is recommended. Likely to have a software #Brightness solution. Needs testing.

Plasma Mobile

Partial. Plasma works smoothly, but there are some graphical glitches sometimes. Kirigami apps may flicker and show a distorted UI! Should work fine on the edge channel. Includes software #Brightness (overlay dimming effect)!

Works on A5 2015, you should set custom scaling factor to 2. Should be in display settings.

kscreen-doctor output.1.scale.2 should work.

To run this command from ssh session add the following env variables to the above command:

XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/10000 QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland kscreen-doctor output.1.scale.2

SXMO

  • Sway - Works.
  • DWM - Untested? Likely to work.

Has deviceprofile for A5. More should be added.

XFCE

Untested? Likely to work. It runs on almost anything from the last decades. Likely to have a software #Brightness solution. Needs testing.

Audio

Only PulseAudio is working. Automatic device switching is unreliable when using it. See Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/412 (MSM8916)#Audio for instructions. Also see Systemd/audio for more details on PulseAudio.

Note Note: Playback issues may occur when playing FLAC files at high bitrates. Needs more testing/investigation.

Audio input devices

  • Primary Microphone (Mic1) - Works. (?)
  • Secondary Microphone (Mic2) - Works. (?)
  • Headset input (AUX) - Works. (?)

Audio output devices

  • Earpiece playback - Works.
  • Speaker playback - Works.
  • Headphones output (AUX) - Works. (?)

Note that the pop up volume bar is always empty in phosh. Could be a UI bug.

Warning WARNING: The speakers are rather loud on 100% volume and may produce distorted sound that may damage your speakers after long use. Please make sure to use reasonable volumes - your ears and your speaker will thank you!

Bluetooth Audio

Works. Supports A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP.

Note Note: Headset microphones may not work below #Bluetooth 5.x.

DSP

See Qualcomm_Snapdragon_410/412 (MSM8916)#Switching rproc mode for instructions.

Display

Partial. While displaying the UI works fine, adjusting the brightness doesn't work.

Brightness

Currently unsupported. Needs a driver.

Warning WARNING: Beware "burn in" when using an (AM)OLED display on high brightness! Permanent discoloration can occur after consistent long use. Especially on some low quality OLEDs.

Touch keys

Partial. Should fully work on most variants. See Tm2-touchkey for instructions.

Warning WARNING: Touch keys may not work on Duos variants. Confimed not to be working on SM-A5000. Needs testing.

Camera

Currently unsupported. You are welcome to try it!

Note The camera subsystem requires a lot of work. Needs more investigation.

Flash LED

Currently WIP. It can be controlled with SG Micro SGM3140 charge pump LED driver[1].

Note Note: Driver seems to be abandoned as of 2025. Needs to be completed.

Image sensors

Needs more research.

ISP

See Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/412 (MSM8916)#Camera.

Battery

This device uses 2300 mAh Lithium-Ion batteries. Likely, but not confirmed for all variants! This battery is glued to the housing and can be difficult to remove. Caution is recommended. Needs more research.

Warning WARNING: Swollen cells can apply internal pressure and should be removed for safety! The gasses are toxic when punctured. Do not breathe!

Battery variants

Unknown. Needs more research.

BMS

Unknown. Also, unsure if this is relevant. There could be many that work. Needs more research.

Charger

Works. Suppoorts 5V 1A charging. May not stop charging, unlike Android kernels!

Fuelguage

Works.

Modem

Mobile Data

  • 2G (EDGE) Data - Works.
  • 3G (HSPA) Data - Works.
  • 4G (LTE) Data - Broken.

Partial. You will need to got to Settings > Mobile Data, then select "Network Mode", then select 2G, 3G (Preferred) for Data.

Note Note: This could be caused by firmware/drivers/userspace not being configured for the 4G variant. The 4G connection does work on A500FU, but only if you have a SIM with no active data plan inserted. More research is needed, could be fixed if this really is the cause. Also see #Similar devices, serranove has a different 4G issue.

Wired connectivity

  • Micro USB 2.0 - Works. (?)
  • Headset (AUX, 3.5 mm) - Works. (?)

Wireless connectivity

Bluetooth

Works. Supports Bluetooth 4.0 with LE. Has no known? issues. Also see #Bluetooth Audio.

FM Radio

Currently unsupported. Needs investigation.

GPS

Works. (?) See Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/412 (MSM8916)#GPS for instructions.

NFC

Unsupported on 3G variants. Untested on most 4G variants? See NFC for instructions.

WiFi

  • 2.4 GHz - Works.
  • 5 GHz - Works.
  • AP (WAP/hotspot) mode - Untested?
Note Note: AP mode does not work with gnome-settings. Needs testing.

Senors

Ambient Light/Proximity Sensor

  • Light sensor (tmd3782) - Broken.
  • Proximity sensor (tmd3782) - Broken.

The driver for tmd3782 ambient light/proximity sensor is not available.

Compass/Magnetometer

  • Magnetometer (bmc150_magn) - Works.

See Magnetometer for instructions.

Rotation/Accelerometer

  • Accelerometer (bmc150_accel) - Works.

Misc

  • Hall effect (GPIO, SmartCover) - Works.

Storage

Internal storage

  • EMMC 4.5 - Works.

External storage

  • micoSDXC - Works. Broken lk2nd on A5000?
  • USB 2.0 - Works. Requires OTG adapter.

Supports microSD Cards and USB 2.0 storage devices.

Partition layout

Disk /dev/mmcblk0: 14.68 GiB, 15758000128 bytes, 30777344 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt

Device            Start      End  Sectors Name    
/dev/mmcblk0p1     8192    38911    30720 apnhlos 
/dev/mmcblk0p2    38912   156543   117632 modem 
/dev/mmcblk0p3   156544   157567     1024 sbl1   
/dev/mmcblk0p4   157568   157631       64 ddr     
/dev/mmcblk0p5   157632   161727     4096 aboot   
/dev/mmcblk0p6   161728   162751     1024 rpm     
/dev/mmcblk0p7   162752   163775     1024 qsee    
/dev/mmcblk0p8   163776   164799     1024 qhee    
/dev/mmcblk0p9   164800   170943     6144 fsg     
/dev/mmcblk0p10  170944   170975       32 sec     
/dev/mmcblk0p11  170976   192511    21536 pad     
/dev/mmcblk0p12  192512   212991    20480 param   
/dev/mmcblk0p13  212992   241663    28672 efs     
/dev/mmcblk0p14  241664   247807     6144 modemst1
/dev/mmcblk0p15  247808   253951     6144 modemst2
/dev/mmcblk0p16  253952   280575    26624 boot    
/dev/mmcblk0p17  280576   311295    30720 recovery
/dev/mmcblk0p18  311296   337913    26618 fota
/dev/mmcblk0p19  337914   352231    14318 backup
/dev/mmcblk0p20  352232   358375     6144 fsc     
/dev/mmcblk0p21  358376   358391       16 ssd     
/dev/mmcblk0p22  358392   374775    16384 persist 
/dev/mmcblk0p23  374776   393207    18432 persdata
/dev/mmcblk0p24  393208  5275639  4882432 system  
/dev/mmcblk0p25 5275640  5685239   409600 cache   
/dev/mmcblk0p26 5685240 30777303 25092064 userdata

CPU

Suspend

Suspend is not yet fully implemented. It's recommended to disable suspend. This should be done automatically for most UIs. See Qualcomm_Snapdragon_410 (MSM8916)#Suspend for instructions.

Clock speeds

Like other MSM8916 devices, the highest CPU clock speed is 998 MHz for now. Setting the governor to performance can improve usability. To make this permanent, add cpufreq.default_governor=performance to the cmdline in /etc/deviceinfo and regenerate the initramfs. See #Packages, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/412 (MSM8916)#Troubleshooting.

Notes

Photos

Useful software

Bootloader builds

Recovery builds

Firmware builds

Firmware tools

  • Latest version of samloader Tool for downloading firmware from official Samsung update servers. Written in python. Consider packaging it.

Packages

Device support

Links

Guides

Specifications

Similar devices

References